“That’s very concerning. Any intrusion into the West Philippine Sea, of our [exclusive economic zone], of our baselines, is very worrisome,” said Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, following reports of a Russian submarine’s presence within Philippine-claimed waters. Philippine navy spokesperson Roy Vincent Trinidad shared that officials in Manila were “surprised” because the submarine was “very unique”.
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The Russian submarine in question is believed to have been the kilo-class, diesel-powered Project 636.3 variant, equipped with a missile system that boasts a range of 12,000 kilometres (7,456 miles). However, some were quick to downplay the incident, since there was nothing particularly illegal about the submarine’s presence.
Under international law, foreign military vessels enjoy freedom of navigation within the 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone of coastal states. Moreover, even Filipino officials admitted that the Russian submarine crew had clarified that they needed to temporarily surface due to bad weather en route back to Vladivostok.
Nevertheless, the alarmed response from Manila underscores growing tensions between Russia and US allies such as the Philippines, which have squarely backed Ukraine in the war.
Russia’s “no limits” partnership with China and its joint exercises with the Asian superpower in the South China Sea earlier this year have spooked US allies, which fear growing military cooperation between the two countries in the Western Pacific.
A handout photo taken on November 28 from the armed forces of the Philippines shows a Philippine surveillance plane monitoring a Russian submarine, spotted 80 nautical miles from Mindoro island in the South China Sea. Photo: AFP
Across the broader Southeast Asian region, however, Russia is enjoying a second wind by, for example, exploiting anti-Western sentiment in the Global South as the conflict in Gaza rages on. If anything, Russian President Vladimir Putin has a cult following among both regional elites and the broader masses. In countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam, most people polled by a Globescan online survey are betting on Moscow in its current conflict with Kyiv.
